A road to Mecca

Original movie title:
DER WEG NACH MEKKA
Country:        
Austrija, 2008., 58’
Director:
Georg Misch

 

 

 

 

 

Summary:

At the beginning of the 1920's, the Jew, Leopold Weiss, takes a journey to the Middle East. The desert fascinated him, Islam became his new spiritual home. He left his Jewish roots behind, converted to Islam and started calling himself Muhammad Asad. Becoming one of the most important Muslims of the 20th century, he first started to work as an advisor at the king’s court of Saudi-Arabia, later translated the Qur'an, became a co-founder of Pakistan and finally ambassador of the UN. The director follows his fading footsteps, leading out of the Arabian desert to Ground Zero. He finds a man who was not looking for adventures but rather wanted to act as a mediator between Orient and Occident. A Road To Mecca takes the chance to deal with a burning debate which is starting to gain more and more importance nowadays.

Biography

Georg Misch is a film director and producer. He studied at the University of Stirling and the National Film School, NFTS, in Great Britain. His previous film work includes documentaries for the BBC, Channel 4 and ARTE as well as commercials. Numerous festival screenings and awards. His documentary 'Calling Hedy Lamarr' from 2004 won Critics Week Award at Locarno.

10.07., THURSDAY, 17.00, RUŽIČKA'S HOUSE

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